Why I Began Running a blog – Kevin’s Meandering Thoughts

That is one in every of a collection of posts answering some questions on a lifetime of running a blog that began (I consider) by way of Tom Woodward, (possibly by way of this blogger) however that I first noticed by way of Alan L, Sarah H and Martin W by a renewed push to return again to running a blog areas and away from company social media platforms. I’m breaking down the collection of questions into totally different weblog posts.

Q: Why did you begin running a blog within the first place?

Approach again when, on the finish of my first yr of educating (summer season 2003), in my Summer season Management Institute with the Western Massachusetts Writing Undertaking, we piloted what we have been instructed was “running a blog” for the Nationwide Writing Undertaking. (This was simply after presidential Howard Dean used a weblog to lift donations). I don’t bear in mind the platform anymore and it’s lengthy since gone. Oh wait. Manila. That was it. Anyway, we used it to share tales, skilled fascinated about educating, for feedback and extra. Despite the fact that we have been in the identical location, we instantly might see the potential for suggestions and sharing and publishing. I certain did, and I even obtained NWP of us to offer me a Manila weblog area for my college students.

I attempted to make use of the Manila area for various actions over the subsequent yr or two. It by no means fairly caught on. The idea was too new, I believe, and the executive components of Manila have been clunky and typically unstable. However then, a number of summers later, at a know-how retreat for NWP out in Chico, California, known as Tech Issues, some new educating associates I met there inspired me to begin my very own weblog after exhibiting me their new blogs (this teacher-as-blogger was now beginning to be a factor).

However I questioned: What would I say? What did I’ve to say?

I made a decision to dip my toes in, and created the Kevin’s Meandering Thoughts title and idea to maintain many doorways open to wherever my curiosity took me — educating, music, writing, poetry, comics, video manufacturing, pictures, household. Whereas my posts are certainly everywhere in the conceptual map, I do know I discovered my writing voice in these common posts (throughout one stretch of time, I used to be posting twice a day — which is insane. I apologize to anybody who had me of their RSS reader.) Right here is my first publish, ever. Discover the know-how references, together with Writerly earlier than Google snatched it up and made it Google Docs.

Again to the query at hand, as to why I began running a blog, I believe it was to have a spot to jot down, pure and easy. Or possibly a spot to compose is the higher solution to put it.

(see my publish from 2009 about Why I Weblog)

Peace (wherever your letters land),
Kevin